Non-overflow water closet



Jan. 22, 1957 w. G. YOUNG .NON-OVEIRFLOW WATER CLOSET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1953 IN VEN TOR az fowne gs.

Jan. 22, 1957 w YOUNG NONOVERFLOW 7 WATER CLOSET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1953 h/ IN V EN TOR. BY M M (Zfiorwqya.

i 1 it@ NON-OVERFLOW WATER CLOSET Willard G. Young, Robinson, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Case Manufacturing Corporation, Robinson, 11]., a corporation of New York This invention relates to improvements in a non-overflow water closet. i

The principal object of the invention is to provide a water closet which for all practical purposes cannot overflow should a stoppage occur in the trapway normally used for draining the closet bowl.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central sectional view through a water closet embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof, this view being taken from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a generally vertical sectional view of the auxiliary overflow passage forming an essential element of my invention.

The water closet is shown as having the usual bowl connected at its bottom to a well 11, a main trapway for draining said bowl through syphonic action when the closet is flushed including an upleg 12, a downleg 13 interconnected to provide a steeple or spill edge 14, and a horizontal passage 15 having an outlet 16 which is suitably connected to the sewer or waste pipe (not shown), all as is well known. The bowl 10 is shown as provided with a hollow rim 18 having discharge openings 19 in the bottom wall thereof, such openings being angled with respect to the vertical so that when water is discharged through said openings the water swirls over the inner surface of the bowl 10 in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above as represented by the arrow in Fig. 2. Water is supplied to such rim flush 18 from a tank 20 having an outlet provided by a seat fitting 21 and normally closed by the usual flush valve 22. Water discharged from the tank through the last mentioned outlet or through the usual tank overflow 23 enters a compartment 24. This compartment 24 is in communication with the hollow rim 18 and by means of a duct 25 (Fig. 3) is also connected with a jet opening 26 arranged at thebottom of the well 11 on the front side thereof so as to direct water discharged therethrough into the upleg 12. A body of water 28 is normally maintained within the bowl 11 and upleg 12 to a level determined by the elevation of the steeple or spill edge 14, this body of water providing the usual water seal to prevent the escape of sewer gas and odors into the room in which the water closet is arranged. The construction and operation of water closet so far described is known and understood by those skilled in the art.

The feature of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary trapway interconnecting the bowl 10 and outlet 16. This auxiliary trapway is shown as having front, intermediate and rear sections 30, 31 and 32 respectively. The front section 30 is a riser passage which is substantially vertical and connected at its lower end to the bottom of the intermediate section 31 which ascends rearwardly and upwardly and is connected .at its States Patent Patented. Jan. 22, 1957 2 upper end to the top of the .rear section 32 which is a descending passage. The upper end of the front passage 30 has an inlet 33 which opens through the wall of the bowl 10 at a location slightly above the normal level of the water seal 28. The meeting low point of the front and intermediate passages 30, 31 respectively is shown as being in communication with the well 11 on one side thereof through the inlet opening 34. The lower end of the rear or descending passage 32 is shown as being in communication with the main horizontal outlet passage 15 through an outlet 35 in the sidewall thereof. The port 35 is at a lower elevation than both the ports 33 and 34.

The juncture between the lower walls forming the upper ends of the ascending .and descending passages 31, 32 respectively form a steeple or spill edge 36' which is arranged at a higher elevation than the steeple or spill edge 14 in the main trapway. This is shown in Fig. 1 but will be more easily seen by referring to Fig. 4 wherein the line 38 represents the relative elevation of the main steeple or spill edge 14 and thereby the normal level of the body of water 28 forming the water seal.

While the auxiliary trapway has been described as having three sections 30, 31, 32, these are not distinct entities but parts of one continuous duct or passageway formed by an outer enclosing wall 39 (Fig. 3) arcuate in cross section and formed integrally with the main body of the water closet on .one side thereof and which is usually composed of vitreous china.

It will therefore be seen that a water closet embodying my invention has two trapways, one a main trapway and theother an auxiliary trapway. The function of the main trapway is to service the bowl 10 in its normal flushing operations. The function of the auxiliary trapway is to drain the bowl 10 in case of a stoppage in the main trapway as hereinafter explained. It is to be noted that the steeple 'or spill edge 36 of the auxiliary trapway is higher in elevation than the steeple or spill edge 14 of the main trapway. Thus in normal operation the auxiliary trapway does not fill up and syph'on simultaneously with the main trapway. It is only when the main trapwaybecomes plugged in some way by fecal matter, paper or other articles that the auxiliary trapway comes into operation. It is further to be noted that both trapways draw'water from. the interior of the same bowl'10 and discharge through the same outlet 16' therefor.

Under normal operations when the bowl is flushed the erly, when the flu shing water in the tank 20 is released,

this Water entering the bowl 10 through the jet opening 26 and flush rim openings 19 will cause the level of the water in the bowl and auxiliary trapway to rise. The water enters the auxiliary trapway through the lower port or inlet 34 and also possibly through the upper port or inlet 33. When the ascending passage 31 of the auxiliary trapway becomes full of water, a syphonic action is set up which causes the water to be syphoned from the interior of the bowl 10, drawing the water down to the level of the lower port or inlet 34.

It is to be noted thatthe disposition of this lower port or inlet 34 relative to the jet opening 26 is such that the waterdischarged from the opening 26 tends to keep the inlet 34 clear of solid matter which might obstruct this inlet. However, if both the main trapway and lower inlet 34 become plugged, the water in the b0wl10 when the closet is flushed will rise to the elevation of the upper port or inlet 33, thereby also filling the auxiliary trapway and causing it to syphon. However, under these condir 29 Ce 7 2,7780 7 tions the water "in thebowl will be drawn down only to the elevation of *the upper port or inlet 33 since it has been assumed that the lower port or inlet 34 is plugged. Duringsuch a cycle the auxiliary trapway serves more as anoverfiow since it is unable to completely syphon all the Water from the'bowl 10.

Should the main trapway ,and upper port or inlet 33 become plugged simultaneously the auxiliary *trapway will befilled -through the lower port or'inlet "54. The auxiliarytrapway willbe caused to syphon and water will 'be drawn down .to the elevation ofthe jlower port or inlet 34.

From the 'foregoingit will be seen that the auxiliary trapway is serviced at two elevations and further that the auxiliary trapway is just as effective ;with either port 33 or 34 acting individually as it is with both these ports acting collectively.

In order to minimize the likelihood of the upper port or inlet 33 from becoming plugged with solid matter being swirled about the bowl by the water discharged from the angled or slanted rim holes v19, it is desirable that this port or inlet 33 facein the direction of the swirl. This is accomplished by extending the upper extremity of'the front passage 30 into the "bowl by forming an inward projection 40 on the bowl .wall and providing the upper port or inlet33 in the rear face of suchprojection. This projection ,graduall y rises from the inner surface of :the bowl 193 and the water washes thereover and tends to wash refuse away from the upper port .or inlet 33 rather than into 'the same. I

It will also be noted .that the bowl 10 has suflicient remaining volume or capacity above the normal water seal therein to accommodate the water capacity of the tank ,20 when filled to the rim of -the overflow 23.

The auxiliary trapway with the port openings 33 .and 34 acting individually or collectively, .is of sufiicient size in cross section atany place to handle incoming water when the "ball-cock (notrshown) .is fully opened to the service line supplying water to the tank 20 and spilling over the rimof the overflow 23 into thecompartment 24, when the main 'trapway becomes plugged. r

' "It is also'tobe noted thatthe seat 21 for the flushrva'lve 22 is at a higher elevation than that of the top of the flush rim 18 thereby assuringat all timesthat reservoir.

water 'is not contaminated.

From the foregoing 'it will be seen that the present invention contemplates building into ,a water closet of conventional construction an auxiliary trapway having entrances above and -below the level of the normal Water seal maintained in thebowl and which auxiliary trapway is normally inoperative but becomes operative when the main trapway becomes plugged and remains operative even if one of the entrances to the auxiliary trapway becomes plugged. In .view of the unlikelihood offmain trapway -and both entrances to the auxiliary trapway becomingplugged at the same time, coupled with the capacity of 'the ibowl even should this condition occur, the water closet is practically non-over'flowable.

I claim:

'1. -In a-water closet having a bowl with a well at the bottom thereof, and a jet opening in the wall of said well and a main trapway communicating at its entrance end with said well opposite said jet opening, said main trapway including a steeple and upleg and downleg on opposite sides thereof, the combination therewith of means arranged to prevent the overflow of the bowl in the event said main -trapway becomes plugged and providing an auxiliary v syphonic :trapway having interconnected riser, ascending and de scending passages, a steeple between said ascending and descending passages .and arranged at a higher ,level than said first mentioned steeple, the upper end of said riser passage being ported to the interior of the bowl above the normal level of \water maintained therein, the low point of juncture between said riser and ascending passages being ported to said well at a location in the said wall thereof between said jet opening and the entrance to saidinain trapway and at about the same elevation as said jet opening whereby water discharged therefrom flows transversely of "such port, and the lower end 'of said descending passage being ported to said downleg.

2. In a Water closetincluding-a bowl having a hollow flush rim therefor and provided with openings in the bottomwall of-suchrim and arranged so that water discharged therefrom flushes the inner surface ofsaid bowl with a swirling action and the closet also including a main trapway having a steeple and upleg and downleg on opposite sides thereof, the combination therewith of means arranged to prevent the overflow of the bowl in the event said main trapway becomes plugged and providing an auxiliary syphonic 'trapway having interconnected riser, ascending and descending passages, asteeple between said ascending and descending passages and arranged at a higher level than said first mentioned steeple, means providing -a port establishing communication '-between'the interior of the bowl and the upper end of said riser passage and so arranged that said port is above the-normal level of "water maintained in the bowl and faces laterally in the-direction of swirl of the water discharged from'sai'd'fiush rim, the low point of juncture between said riser and ascending passages being ported to the interior of the bowl adjacent the bottom thereof andthelowerend-of'said descending passage being ported to said downleg.

RefereucesCited in the file of this patent U ITED STATES PATENTS 9881787 Kimble Apr. 4, 1911 '1,'11'O,%31 -Sharp Sept. 15, 1914 1,167,738 Boyne Jan. 11,1916 1,430,417 Tucker Sept. 26, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,222 Switzerland Mar. 13,1895 

